This is how the window looked when we got it. We weren't sure what all would need to be done, but we fell in love with it instantly and knew we wanted to restore it. Keep in mind that it was part of the church, exposed to the elements and weather, for approximately 110 years before it was removed. The church was dedicated in 1864 and underwent a remodel in the 1970s.
We started by stripping it, which entailed applying stripper and scraping off the old paint. Although only one side is shown here, we refinished both sides.
Finally, the original wood is exposed. Next, we sanded to remove inconsistencies and smooth the surface.
After sanding, we took a Dremel to the interior edges to shine the lead and remove the old glazing, which we later replaced.
All that was left was to add a couple of coats of polyurethane. We taped off the edges to protect the glass.
This is the final product. Today, it hangs in our home as a prized possession. While the only photo we have of the original window as it hung in the church is in a book chronicling the history of Brown County, Illinois, we do have a current picture showing where the window once hung. To see the replacement window, click here.
This is how the window looked when we got it. We weren't sure what all would need to be done, but we fell in love with it instantly and knew we wanted to restore it. Keep in mind that it was part of the church, exposed to the elements and weather, for approximately 110 years before it was removed. The church was dedicated in 1864 and underwent a remodel in the 1970s.
We started by stripping it, which entailed applying stripper and scraping off the old paint. Although only one side is shown here, we refinished both sides. 
Finally, the original wood is exposed. Next, we sanded to remove inconsistencies and smooth the surface.
After sanding, we took a Dremel to the interior edges to shine the lead and remove the old glazing, which we later replaced.
All that was left was to add a couple of coats of polyurethane. We taped off the edges to protect the glass.
This is the final product. Today, it hangs in our home as a prized possession. While the only photo we have of the original window as it hung in the church is in a book chronicling the history of Brown County, Illinois, we do have a current picture showing where the window once hung. To see the replacement window, click